STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5951 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to recipients of public assistance who lack appropriate child care The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 131 of the social services law, as 2 added by section 11 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 5. No public assistance shall be given to an applicant for or recipi- 5 ent of public assistance who has failed to comply with the requirements 6 of this chapter, or has refused to accept employment in which [he or 7 she] such applicant or recipient is able to engage. Except that no 8 applicant or recipient who is the parent or caretaker relative of an 9 eligible child shall be subject to the ineligibility provisions of this 10 chapter if the lack of child care that is appropriate, suitable, within 11 a reasonable distance, and reflects parental preferences prevents the 12 individual from complying with the requirements therein. 13 § 2. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 1 of section 332 of the social 14 services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the 15 laws of 1997, is amended and a new paragraph (f) is added to read as 16 follows: 17 (e) a [woman] person who is pregnant, beginning thirty days prior to 18 the medically verified date of delivery of [her] such person's child[.]; 19 (f) the parent or caretaker relative of an eligible child, for the 20 period of time during which such participation is prevented by the lack 21 of child care that is appropriate, suitable and within a reasonable 22 distance, and that is reflective of the child care preferences included 23 in the parent's assessment. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10550-01-5
S. 5951 2 1 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 336-d of the social services law, as 2 added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 1. Each applicant for or recipient of public assistance shall, upon 5 request of the social services official, demonstrate that [he or she] 6 such applicant or recipient is engaged in an active and continuing 7 effort to achieve self-sufficiency as defined by the department. Such 8 effort shall include but not be limited to an active and continuing 9 search for employment, or for persons otherwise exempt in accordance 10 with section three hundred thirty-two of this title, and where deemed 11 appropriate by the social services official, activities that foster 12 preparation for employment. Each such applicant or recipient shall have 13 an affirmative duty to accept any offer of lawful employment in which 14 [he or she] such applicant or recipient may engage. The failure of a 15 social services district to assign applicants and recipients to activ- 16 ities pursuant to this title shall not relieve such persons from the 17 requirements of this section. An individual who fails to comply with 18 the requirements of [the] this section shall be subject to the 19 provisions set forth in subdivision five of section one hundred thirty- 20 one of this chapter and [of section] sections three hundred forty-one 21 and three hundred forty-two of this title. Except that no applicant or 22 recipient who is the parent or caretaker relative of an eligible child 23 shall be subject to the ineligibility provisions of this section if the 24 lack of child care that is appropriate, suitable, and within a reason- 25 able distance prevents the individual from complying with the work 26 requirements of this section. 27 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 28 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 29 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 30 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 31 completed on or before such effective date.